A forum entitled “Inalienable Rights:  Civil Rights and Social Justice” will be presented at UTC on Tuesday, beginning with a reception at 5 p.m. in the Tennessee Room of the UTC University Center, followed by the program in the UTC University Center Auditorium beginning at 5:30.  The reception and the program are open to the public.

U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Tennessee, William C. Killian, will serve as keynote speaker.  He will address “Understanding Civil Rights in Today’s Diverse Society.”

“The University of Tennessee Chattanooga is excited to continue our exploration of the diversity continuum by hosting a Civil Rights Forum," said Dr. Bryan Samuel, director of the UTC Office of Equity and Diversity.  "With emphasis on inalienable rights, the Civil Rights Forum will also capture perspectives of community representatives on civil rights and social justice."

Sponsors include the UTC Chancellor’s Office, UTC Office of Equity and Diversity, and the Southeast Tennessee Civil Rights Working Group.  Partners include UTC Multicultural Affairs, city of Chattanooga Office of Multicultural Affairs, and the UTC Disability Resource Center.

Welcoming remarks will be offered by:  Dr. Samuel; Dr. E. Grady Bogue, UTC interim chancellor; and Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield.

The discussion will be moderated by Beverly Cosley, city of Chattanooga Office of Multicultural Affairs. 

Mr. Killian is the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee.  Mr. Killian is responsible for representing the legal interest of the United States and prosecuting federal criminal violations throughout the district’s 41 counties, which extend from Johnson County in northeastern Tennessee to Lincoln County in the middle of the state. The Eastern District is the largest federal district in Tennessee and serves approximately 2.6 million citizens.

Prior to being sworn in as U.S. Attorney on Oct. 4, 2010, Mr. Killian was a sole practitioner in his law firm in Jasper, Tn., since 1979. He served as the city attorney for the town of Monteagle for 21 years. Until recently, Mr. Killian held positions on the Tennessee Court Reporting Board, the Tennessee Bar Association House of Delegates, and the Board of Directors of the Chattanooga area Chapter of the American Red Cross. He is a master member of the Brock/Cooper Inns of Court in Chattanooga. He has been certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and the Tennessee Commission on Legal Specialization as a civil and criminal trial advocate since 1995.

Mr. Killian graduated from The University of Tennessee School of Law in 1974, after receiving a B.S. degree from The University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in April 1975. From 1976 through 1979, he was employed as an assistant district attorney with the Twelfth Judicial District, serving seven counties in southeast Tennessee and returned to this position part-time from 1988 through 1990. Through the years he has held various teaching positions with colleges in east Tennessee as well as The University of Tennessee College of Law. He served in the U.S. Army, Tennessee National Guard from December 1970 through January 1973.

Email or call the UTC Disability Resource Center for accommodations at www.utc.edu/drc or 425-4006.